


Future Foe Scenario

by PrehistoricCat



Category: Primeval
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-19
Updated: 2011-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-15 19:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrehistoricCat/pseuds/PrehistoricCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An anomaly opens, and Danny Quinn returns... bringing revelations from the future, but is he already too late to change things?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Coffee?” Jess asked. Abby looked up from her computer slightly confused. “I said, did you want a coffee? It's my turn.”

 

“Sorry, I was miles away. Yeah, coffee would be good, thank you.” Abby sighed. She'd been staring at the computer screen for over an hour and hadn't typed anything. Ever since Connor had walked out of the flat they'd been sharing with Jess for the last three months, Abby had been having trouble concentrating on anything.

 

“It's Connor isn't it?” Jess said. Abby glared at her. “Sorry, its none of my business.” She disappeared off to make some coffee, leaving Abby alone in the control room of the ARC. Becker was in the gym, Matt in his lab and Connor was shut away in the office with Burton. She'd barely seen him the last couple of weeks; he said he was working on something “important”. She missed him; his warmth, his laughter, his whole presence... but she couldn't be with him whilst he worshipped Burton the way he did – Not after Burton had threatened to put all the creatures down in the ARC. She didn't trust him in the slightest, and hated the way Connor had been blinded by the science and resources Burton threw at him. He wasn't her Connor any more; he had stopped caring about anything other than this project Burton had him working on.

 

Jess came back with the coffees and went to go and sit at her post in front of the ADD. Then she turned to Abby. “If you ever want to talk... “

 

“Thank you. I'll be OK, just finding it hard being alone after everything Connor and I went through – even before we spent the year in the Cretaceous.” Abby held the cup in both hands, cradling it as she spoke. Jess grabbed a spare chair and pulled it up next to Abby's. “He's changed Jess, and I miss him.”

 

Jess reached for Abby's hand, seeing tears beginning to form in her eyes – and then the anomaly alert went off. With an apologetic look, Jess rushed to her seat. Everyone sprung into action, and moments later, the soldiers, Becker, Matt and Abby were all assembled and waiting for their instructions. “The anomaly is at the test track on the outskirts of town – I'm just downloading the co-ordinates to your vehicles now.” Jess said.

 

Abby looked at Becker, her heart pounding. Becker had gone pale and swallowed hard. “Jess, is it...?”

 

Jess nodded. “Yes, its in the same location as the one Abby, Connor and Danny disappeared through... and the one where Sarah died.”

 

“I'll understand if you guys don't want to be in on this one.” Matt said. “The soldiers and I can handle it. And there'll be no-one going through it.”

 

“No, we should go.” Abby said. “If it is the same one, then it leads to the future. You haven't met a future Predator yet have you.?” Abby said.

 

“I haven't no, but I read all the files on your disappearance and the rescue attempts. I know what we're up against.” Matt said. He was already almost out of the door.

 

“We're coming with you.” Becker said, glancing at Abby. She gave him a half smile. At least Becker hadn't forgotten the reason they were all here. As she followed Matt and Becker, she gave one last look at the door where she knew Connor was working. The door hadn't even opened, and she doubted he'd even registered that the alarm was sounding. With a sad sigh, she ran to catch up with the others.

 

-o-

 

“It all seems to work when you run it through the computer model.” Connor said. “But when I run the program through the device nothing happens.”

 

“We're missing something, Connor!” Burton said. “So near and yet so far!” He was pacing around the room and visibly agitated. Connor was agitated too, and very tired. He could barely keep his eyes open; for the last week he'd been working into the small hours on this device and had been surviving on a couple of hours sleep and take-out pizza, washed down with weak coffee from the vending machine.

 

He stretched and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to massage out the knots forming in his muscles. Abby used to do that for him; he said she had magic fingers. He felt a tightening in his chest at the thought of Abby - Why couldn't she see that this was important? She'd said Burton couldn't be trusted after he'd said he was going to have all the creatures put down. That had been their first argument – Connor had chosen to go and help out at the anomaly call instead of helping her to rescue the creatures. He'd said she was being un-reasonable; there were lives in immediate danger at the anomaly site whereas the creatures could be left another couple of hours. After that, any time Burton was mentioned,Abby's hackles were raised. Finally they'd decided that it wasn't fair on Jess that they argued all night, so he moved out. Burton had allowed him to use the company apartment that he and Abby had used that first night they came home. That place has been so welcoming on that first night back in the modern world, but without Abby it was just a clinical space; void of any real comfort.

 

The anomaly alarm was ringing out loud. For a brief moment, Connor had felt an urge to leap up and join the others. He knew the team would be setting off; EMDs loaded, hearts racing … and Abby. He hated not being with her, and he hoped that once he had finally worked out how to open an anomaly she would realise that what he and Burton were doing was a major piece of the greater picture – and most importantly, a step closer to completing Cutter's work. Burton hadn't even flinched when the alarm went off. It was his opinion that that side of the ARC ran smoothly on its own without his interference, and any problems Lester would deal with.

 

Suddenly, Burton banged his fist on the desk, then stomped across the office and flung the door open. “Jess, is it really necessary for the alarm to continue sounding once the team have dispatched?” he said angrily.

 

“Sorry, I'm trying to switch it off now.” Jess's voice said back. Connor felt sorry for her; it wasn't her fault. The alarm usually turned itself off after 10 minutes anyway; that was how Connor had originally designed it. The door slammed shut, and Burton was stood behind Connor.

 

“Let's try looking at this from a different angle.” he said to Connor, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You can do this, Connor.” He walked away, seemingly calmer now that the alarm had stopped, and he sat at his desk tapping away on his computer. Connor smiled. At least someone still believed in him.

 

-o-

 

Abby felt sick as they drove past the security hut at the gate. She'd been here twice before of course – the first time she'd almost lost her brother, and the second time … well, it was the start of the year long nightmare for her and Connor. Becker too was unusually quiet. He was nervous, his fingers tapping anxiously on the handle of his EMD. Abby took his hand and squeezed it. “It's OK, Becker.” she whispered. “We're all better equipped to deal with it this time around.”

 

“I know, but I can't help being concerned. This place has a habit of springing very nasty surprises. I just want to get the anomaly locked and dealt with.” he replied. Abby had to agree; the sooner this anomaly was closed, the better.

 

Matt had already arrived at the site, and he radioed to Becker that it looked like nothing had come through yet. That was a relief; neither Becker or Abby fancied a battle with a future predator. Becker parked up beside Matt's car, and Abby leapt out. Two soldiers were already setting up the locking device, and Matt was patrolling the area for signs of a creature incursion. Abby had to admit that although she didn't like such a heavy military presence, it was somewhat reassuring in this case. She shuddered as she looked at the anomaly, remembering how she, Connor and Danny had gone through.

 

“There's something coming through it!” one of the men shouted, and a semi-circle was formed immediately, guns raised. Abby's mouth went dry; this could get very messy within seconds. She could see it now too, a dark figure walking towards them. It was human, not a creature.

 

“Hold your fire!” Becker ordered. Matt nodded, and the men relaxed a little whilst still keeping their guns pointed at the anomaly. Moments later, the figure was through. He glanced around and grinned.

 

“There really was no need for a welcoming committee!”

 

“Danny!!” Abby yelled, running towards him. She flung her arms around his neck and he lifted her up to kiss her cheek. “I can't believe its you!”

 

“Hello, sweetheart.” Danny whispered, hugging her. “Its good to see you too.” The pair held each other tightly for a few moments, then released. Abby slid her arm around his waist. “So, what's been happening then?” he said, looking around the group of soldiers surrounding them. Then he spotted another familiar figure striding over.

 

“Danny Quinn!” Becker said. “Where the hell have you been?!” His face was stern, then broke out into a smile.

 

“Here and there. Could murder a decent pint though!” He hugged Becker briefly, then pulled away, exchanging a look of mutual respect.

 

“I think that can be arranged.” Matt joined them. “I'm Matt Anderson, team leader. We'll get you back to the ARC where you can get a shower and some clean clothes, and then we'll fill you in on everything.” Matt shook his hand and then ordered the soldiers to get back to dealing with the anomaly.

 

“Team leader?” Danny said.

 

“It's been a very long year.” Becker said. “Although I have to say, not as long as the year you seem to have had.”

 

Abby looked properly at Danny for the first time. He was a mess, and she could see he was physically exhausted and had been through more than his fair share of trauma. She noted with interest though that the wound on his leg appeared to be from a bullet – it was obvious he hadn't just been in the prehistoric past. “Where have you been, Danny?” she said.

 

“Its a long story, but let's just say this is the tenth anomaly I've been through trying to get back. You wouldn't believe some of the things I've seen … speaking of which .. Connor. There's something I need to tell him.” Danny looked around, trying to see Connor.

 

“He's back at the ARC.” Abby said sadly. Danny looked at her, sensing something was wrong. “I'll explain....” she was interrupted by shouting – Matt was demanding to know why the anomaly hadn't been locked yet. Abby could hear the soldier explaining that the locking device had failed, and Matt was anxiously trying to get advice from Jess. Abby could tell from his face that she wasn't much help.

 

“Well go into his office and get Connor now!, this is potentially dangerous, Jess – especially this particular anomaly!” Matt was almost shouting. It was really the first time she'd seen Matt get so annoyed. He was stomping around, looking extremely anxious.

 

“What's wrong, Matt?” Abby asked calmly, hoping her quiet tone would ease the situation.

 

“Jess doesn't know how to fix the locking device and she's under strict instructions not to disturb Burton and Connor.” Matt said.

 

“Burton?” Danny said, looking concerned. “Philip Burton? As in founder of 'Prospero industries'?”

 

“Oh don't you bloody start!” Abby sighed. “It's bad enough Connor practically hero worships him without you....”

 

“Abby – you have to get me to the ARC, before it's too late. If Connor's already working with Burton, then we have a massive problem unless we....” Danny began, but before he could finish what he was saying, there was a yell and several soldiers raised their EMDs. Becker, Abby and Danny turned around, just in time to see the terrifyingly familiar sight of a future predator leaping through the air towards the group of soldiers surrounding the anomaly.

 

Becker was on the comms straight away. “These creatures locate their prey using sound, so keep yourselves as silent and still as possible.”

 

Abby shut herself inside one of the vehicles so that she could use her phone. She called Connor's mobile, but it cut straight to his voicemail. “Damn you, Connor Temple!” She yelled into the phone “You should be here, sorting out the locking device instead of fawning over Burton! If you were, we wouldn't be under attack from a Future Predator right now! I hope you're happy? Call me!”

 

She hardly dare look out of the window. The EMDs seemed to be having very little effect on the predator and the soldiers were all looking at each other, questioning what to do next. Danny answered them. The silence was shattered by the sound of three rounds of gunfire from his handgun, and the creature fell to the ground in a pool of its own blood.

 

-o-

 

Jess had knocked twice on Burton's door already, but there'd been no reply. She knew he and Connor were still in there because she could hear voices. Matt's voice rang in her head; he had sounded extremely desperate – there was no choice other than to just walk in and worry about the consequences later.

 

“Connor is needed urgently at the anomaly site, the locking device....” she began.

 

“I thought I made it perfectly clear that we were not to be disturbed!” Burton barked.

 

“Danny Quinn came through from the future, and the anomaly is open because the locking device failed and...” Jess gushed.

 

“Danny?” Connor stood up. “Danny came back?” His heart began to pound – was he hearing it right?

 

Jess smiled and nodded excitedly. “It's amazing isn't it? All three of you back safe and well!”

 

“I should go...” Connor said, looking at Burton pleadingly.

 

Burton sighed. “I suppose you had better assist. And then perhaps we should consider you training one of the technicians to maintain the device properly so that we don't get disturbed like this again.”

 

Connor nodded sheepishly and followed Jess out towards the ADD console. She passed him an earpiece. “Matt, its Connor, put me on to one of the techies and I'll talk them through the reset procedure for the device.”

 

“You took your time, mate.” Matt said. “I'm passing you through to Ross. Jess, we'll be on our way back shortly – with a dead body. You'd better prepare Lester and Burton.”

 

“A body?” Jess said shakily.

 

“Yeah, seems old habits die hard with some people. Our friend Danny shot the creature.”

 

Connor couldn't help but smile. Danny really was back.

 

-o-

 

Danny was frustrated and angry. No-one would give him a straight answer. All he wanted to know was how long Burton had been at the ARC for and what was the work Connor was doing for him.

 

“If you have information that you think could be of importance...” Matt began.

 

“The only person I am going to share what I know with is Connor! This involves him and he has a right to know so that he can do something about it!” Danny hit the desk with his fist. He'd been back two days and he was quickly realising that getting to Connor was near on impossible. For a start, Danny had only very limited access to the ARC so that he could attend his debrief interviews. He couldn't just wander around, he had to be accompanied by a soldier at all times whilst he was there. He'd seen Connor briefly; they'd exchanged hugs and “Great to see you again!” but that was it. Connor disappeared into an office and Danny was ushered away. He couldn't help noticing the sad look in Abby's eyes as she worked, and how she kept looking hopefully over at the door he'd disappeared through. It seemed things were already going wrong for them and that he'd mis-timed his reappearance by several weeks.

 

He'd arranged to meet Abby at a coffee shop in town. If he couldn't get to Connor, then he'd have to hope Abby could. She was already waiting for him when he arrived and had ordered him a large cappucino. “Thanks for this, Abby.” he smiled and sat down.

 

“I'm glad we've finally got chance to catch up! They've kept you pretty much away from the rest of us.” Abby said. “Has Lester found you a job at the ARC?”

 

Danny shook his head. “Wouldn't take it if they offered one, Abby. I'm not planning on staying around for long.”

 

“Really?” Abby was dismayed. Her joy at having him back was seeping away. “Why?”

 

“I spent a number of months travelling through anomalies with other people, just like me, who were trapped in the wrong time and trying to find a way home. Some got lucky, others continued to wander with no real purpose – and some saw themselves as being on a crusade to put things right.” He took a mouthful of coffee and leaned back.

 

“And which group do you fit into?” Abby said.

 

“At first, I just wanted to go home. I got lucky and fell in with a group who had been travelling for a while and knew a route that would take me to the future. I expected to find the ARC there, or something similar, and meet someone who had a device like Helen's that could get me back here. But the more I travelled, the more I realised that getting home wasn't what I wanted. If people survived when they went through anomalies, then maybe one day I'd find Patrick.”

 

Abby swallowed. She remembered the first time they'd met Danny at the old house where his brother had disappeared. For years, he'd believed that Patrick had been murdered, but after their encounter with a creature he had a new hope that Patrick had simply gone through an anomaly. It was for that reason that Danny had quit the police force and joined the ARC team in the first place; taking on the rather unenviable task of stepping into Cutter's shoes as leader. “So you're just passing through then?”

 

Danny nodded. “There's a few things I need to sort out, and that's why I wanted to meet you today.” he dropped his eyes and stared at the salt and pepper pots on the table; he wasn't sure he could look Abby in the eyes. “I found myself in 2042, a world where Prospero Industries owns about 90% of everything that can be bought. They seemingly stumbled upon a super fuel to replace fossil fuels and it made Philip Burton an incredibly rich and powerful man.”

 

Abby grimaced at the mention of Burton's name. “It's so unfair that people like him get to be so powerful.” She could see the look on Danny's face and knew there was more to come. “Sorry, carry on.” she stroked the back of his hand.

 

“No-one knew how he managed it. The technology he used was far beyond anything that had been seen before. He just grew richer and richer, buying out all his competitors and then any other industry. He's hated the world over and he disappears for long lengths of time because there are people who want to kill him.”

 

Abby could completely identify with that sentiment, and smiled to herself. At least she wasn't imagining her feelings towards him. Then a thought hit her. “Hang on! You're talking about 30 years from now, he'd be in his 70s?”

 

Danny cleared his throat. “I met a guy who works at the ARC in 2042, decent sort. Tom. He was tasked with helping me get back here but we got tangled up in a call to an anomaly. To cut a long story short, the anomaly was at Prospero's head office and it turned out it had been there for some time, just under a cloaking device like that one Christine Johnson had. When our guys got there, we uncovered the secret behind Burton's success. The Burton of 2042 is the same Burton of 2011 … and the same Burton of 2105.”

 

Abby scowled. “He travels through anomalies?”

 

Danny nodded. “How else do you think he manages to come up with all these amazing inventions? He doesn't, he just steals them from the future and brings them back. He has two anomalies, one that takes him back to his own time here, and the other to the future where he gets all his resources, and he conducts his business affairs in 2042 where he can't be traced.”

 

“How the hell does Burton have access to an anomaly in 2011 without us knowing about it?” Abby was in shock.

 

“He hasn't, not yet. But he's close. And that's where Connor comes in.” Danny looked Abby in the eye at last. “Abby. I have to speak to Connor.”

 

“Is he in danger?” Abby's voice trembled.

 

“I don't know.” Danny replied simply.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's told Abby what Burton is up to, but can they convince Connor?

Connor stretched and rubbed his eyes. It was almost 3am, and apart from the night security patrol, he was the only person still at the ARC. He liked the peace and quiet usually, but today he felt uneasy. He hadn't seen daylight in over a week, and he'd slept at the ARC three times in the last fortnight. He was within a hair's breadth of making this work; he could feel it in the air... if he could just work out the right combination of the chemicals...

 

Knocking back yet another cup of coffee he'd let go cold, he blinked and picked up the device he'd been working on. He hooked it up to the power unit he'd devised and flicked the switch to the 'on' position. Yawning, he turned automatically to his computer to start looking at the data, ready to analyse it and add it to the list of failed attempts. Suddenly, the room lit up and his ears were blasted by the sound of the anomaly alarm. Mouth open and suddenly wide awake, Connor stared. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen – he had created an anomaly from nothing and all those hours spent bent over a computer and soldering iron had finally paid off. It was like his entire body had been taken over by a giant spring as he began bouncing around the lab like an excited toddler; his grin as wide as his face. The glow lit up the entire room and there was the feint crackle of electricity in the air making the hairs on Connor's neck stand up.

 

Coming to his senses, Connor disabled the alarm system. Burton had said this needed to be kept secret until they were certain it all worked properly. He wished Burton was here to see it; witness his success and know that his faith in him had been justified. Then, he wished Abby was here too. If she could see for herself what he'd been doing, then maybe she'd forgive him for neglecting their relationship and all the arguments. Finally, his thoughts turned to Professor Cutter; the man that had started him on this incredible journey. If he was here now, he'd be grinning from ear to ear just like Connor was and saying “Good work, Connor.” How he longed to hear those words.

 

Deciding that he should do a few tests to determine if this anomaly behaved like the ones they encountered outside, he grabbed his compass from the table at the side. His heart was pounding as he watched the needle spin uncontrollably – it was certainly looking very promising. However, when he took out his black box sensor to do more readings, the anomaly began to fade slowly in front of him, then disappeared completely. Connor stared into the space it left behind for several minutes. His heart pounded so hard in his chest he was certain it would burst straight through. He had done it! He had actually done it!

 

-o-

 

“That's odd.” Jess said, mostly to herself but also to anyone who was listening. She was starting up the manual systems and checking the overnight data from the automatic system.

 

“What's wrong?” Becker said.

 

“An anomaly was detected at 2:56am this morning, but the alarm was manually switched off.” Her face scrunched in concentration as she tried to work out where the alarm had been switched off from.

 

“Maybe it was a fault?” Becker said.

 

“Unlikely.” She clicked a few more buttons on the computer then frowned. “Whoever it was has covered up their ID on the remote system.”

 

“Someone who knows what they're doing then... which means its either you or …” Before Becker could finish, the door to Burton's office was flung open and he was almost running towards Connor's lab. He went inside without knocking, and the door was slammed firmly shut. Jess gave Becker a strange look, and Becker shrugged his shoulders before walking away towards the armoury. They were all used to Burton and Connor blanking everyone else out by now.

 

Jess continued to explore the data, determined to find out more. Burton and Connor were up to something – it HAD to be one of them that had turned the alarm off, but why? Maybe it was a fault like Becker had said? When she checked the co-ordinates of the anomaly that had triggered the alert, she gasped … it was right here, inside the ARC! Surely that couldn't happen? It was definitely a fault, there was no other explanation.

 

She tried to put it to the back of her mind, but as the day wore on it kept niggling at her. The security logs showed that Connor hadn't left last night, so he must have turned off the alarm. It didn't make sense; if there had been a fault with the system, he would have told her or at least put it in the log. He was the one that had insisted any problems were noted down in case they recurred. Jess sighed and decided to go and speak to Abby. It was a long shot, but maybe Abby would have an idea.

 

-o-

 

Abby had not slept; not that that was unusual these days. Not having Connor at her side was taking a lot of getting used to after being so close and reliant on him being there. Her conversation with Danny was still ringing in her head – Burton somehow got access to an anomaly with Connor's help. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and groaned as her mobile vibrated. It was Danny. He wanted Abby to try and get Connor to meet him later. That was easier said than done, especially today. Connor usually made an appearance mid morning to get a coffee, or a can of coke and chocolate from the vending machine. Abby was grateful that Connor was a creature of habit; she could plan her own breaks around him and at least get a “Hi, you OK?” from him. – but today the door to his lab had stayed firmly shut and neither he or Burton had come out.

 

Jess was hovering in the doorway, until she caught Abby's eye and came in. “Do you know anything at all about what Connor is doing for Philip?” Jess said.

 

“I was going to ask you the same.” Abby sighed. She wanted to share what she knew with Jess, but she didn't know if she could trust her completely. There were few people that she did trust these days.

 

Jess sat down next to Abby and told her about what she'd found earlier. Alarm bells began to ring in Abby's head. It was clicking into place and it made sense. Ever since Connor had made the anomaly in the cave at Witchfield strengthen by throwing petrol on it, she'd seen him change. He'd babbled on then about the possibility of creating his own anomaly – and it was round about that time that Burton set up Connor in his own lab too. Had Connor actually done it?

 

“Jess, I need to get Connor on his own somehow. We need to get Burton out of his lab for a while.” Abby said.

 

“OK. I can come up with a phonecall from one of his associates asking him to meet him. It'll get him out for a short time if nothing else.” Jess smiled. She leapt to her feet and made her way over to her console. Abby waited nervously – if she didn't speak to Connor soon, it could be too late; if it wasn't already. Jess's fingers sped over the computer keyboard as she skimmed through the logs of all phonecalls made and received into Burton's office. “This'll do!” Jess finally declared. “Scott Hancock, he calls occasionally. He works at Prospero's labs over in Guildford. By the time Burton's got over there and realised it's not genuine, you'll have had 45 minutes to speak to Connor.”

 

“Thank you.” Abby said quietly.

 

Jess stood up and got ready to go and tell Burton that Scott needed him to go over to Guildford. “You're welcome. If Connor's getting himself into something, then you're the only person who stands any chance of helping him.”

 

Abby nodded. “I don't know about that any more. But we have to try.”

 

-o-

 

Philip was annoyed. He'd hired Scott to take care of the lab and use his own intuition and experience to run the place without needing to pester him. This had better be good! he thought, not liking having to leave Connor at such a crucial time in the research. He stormed past Abby and Jess without a word.

 

Abby waited until he'd disappeared completely and then pushed her way into Connor's lab, not waiting to be invited inside.

 

“We need to talk, Connor.” she said. He didn't even look up from the gadget that he was fiddling about with. “Connor?”

 

Connor huffed his annoyance at being disturbed. “I thought we already said everything we had to say to each other?” He finally turned to face her, and they both stared at each other. It was more than a little awkward. The last time they'd spent more than just a fleeting moment together had resulted in a blazing row and they'd both said hurtful things.

 

Abby fought the urge to cry. Connor was a shadow of his former self; dark circles around his eyes, pale skin that used to be slightly sunkissed, the lines of muscle tone he'd developed barely there … he was thinner than Abby had ever seen him, even in those first months way back when they had only just met. “I'm just worried about you, that's all.”

 

Connor snorted. “I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me. I love what I'm doing.” But he was far from fine. Seeing Abby standing there looking concerned made him really ache to hold her. There was an Abby-sized hole in his life right now and he wished he could take back everything he'd said.

 

“What is it you do in here?” Abby said, looking at the array of wires, circuits and odd looking creations scattered around the room. She was used to this sort of scene and it was somewhat reassuring to see there was still a bit of the Connor she loved there.

 

“I can't tell you.... not yet. But soon. It's all coming together and Philip says....” he stopped. He knew he couldn't say any more, despite wanting to share everything with her. The look of distaste on her face when he said Philip's name hurt.

 

“I've been talking to Danny.” Abby said. “He's seen things. The future... the near future. If you won't listen to what I have to say, will you at least meet Danny?”

 

Connor thought for a moment. It would be good to catch up with Danny. He'd caught snippets of conversations between Lester and Burton and knew Lester was desperately trying to find a suitable position for Danny at the ARC. Danny had been the leader and now Matt had that role, and Connor couldn't really picture Danny working under Becker in 'security'. “OK.” He said quietly. “I'll meet Danny in the pub across from Jess's place at eight.”

 

Abby smiled. It was a start. As she turned to leave, she heard Connor take a deep breath.

 

“Abby?”

 

“Yes?” she said, a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

 

“Will you be there too?”

 

“Would you like me to be there?”

 

Connor blushed and nodded, swallowing nervously.

 

“I'll see you later then.” She turned on her heels and left, her heart racing.

 

-o-

 

Danny ordered a second round of drinks for him and Abby. The pint he'd bought for Connor still sat on the table untouched. It was almost nine o'clock, and there was no sign of him. Abby had texted him but he hadn't replied. The positive feeling she'd had all day was slowing seeping away. She gratefully took her drink from Danny and sighed. “He's not coming.”

 

Danny nodded. “It looks like we might have to consider another approach. If Connor's already so far under Burton's influence that he misses an evening with two of his oldest friends...”

 

Abby tried not to let her emotions run away with her. “What else do you know about 2042? Your friend at the ARC, Tom... did he tell you anything?”

 

“I just know a lot of things went wrong, and I need to try and put things right.” Danny said, staring into his pint.

 

“Did you see me?” Abby said quietly. “Do you know what happens to me?”

 

“Abby, I can't answer that.” There was a slightly awkward silence, and Abby sensed that Danny did know something about her – something awful if the fact he couldn't make eye contact with her was anything to go by.

 

Suddenly, like a whirlwind, Connor was joining them at the table. He was full of apologies for being late and muttered something about Burton being annoyed at being led on a wild goose chase. Abby grinned, but hoped he hadn't worked out it was Jess and her that had set him up.

 

The three spent some time catching up; swapping survival stories, near misses, ingenious ways of handling things and making the whole experience sound like a weekend camping on the Yorkshire moors. It was almost fun, like old times.

 

“Abby says you saw the future too?” Connor finally said. The mood instantly changed and Connor glanced from Danny to Abby and back again. “Danny?”

 

“I spent a bit of time in 2042.” Danny took a deep breath and began to tell Connor everything he knew about Burton and Prospero Industries. Abby watched Connor as he listened, and could see him tensing up; the anger slowly burning inside him. His fists were clenching and the tendon in his neck became very prominent. Abby knew the signs well – Any minute now, Connor was going to explode.

 

“Abby put you up to this, didn't she?” Connor said. He was shaking, but desperately trying to hold back his anger. Losing it in a place like this would get him arrested, and deep down he knew Danny would send him sprawling to the floor with a swift right hook anyway.

 

“No. I know what I saw, Connor. Burton's using you to help him get what he wants, and then he'll eat you up and spit you out when he's done – after he's destroyed everything else you hold precious in this world.” Danny stared angrily at Connor.

 

“You're wrong!” Connor spat, blinking back tears. Then, he turned to Abby. “Why can't you just be happy for me? I'm finally getting somewhere with the anomaly research that Cutter wanted me to do thanks to all the equipment Philip provides, and all you can do is...”

 

“You're not doing Cutter's work!” Abby hissed back. “He wanted to find a way to control them, predict them and eventually stop them. You're creating them and allowing them to be used for selfish gain!”

 

Connor pushed past her and made to leave. “To understand how they work, you have to know how to create them, Abby!”

 

Danny followed and squared up in front of him. “Connor, don't be an idiot! Wake up and open your eyes!”

 

“I'm not the one with my eyes closed.” Connor replied. He sniffed, then walked out of the pub leaving Abby and Danny staring in disbelief.

 

“That went well.” Danny said after a few minutes. Abby slumped down onto the seat and sat with her head in her hands, elbows resting on the table. Danny sat beside her and stroked her back comfortingly. When Tom had told him what had happened to Abby, he had refused to believe it, but now … he could see she was already falling apart in front of his eyes and he was beginning to understand how she had got herself into such a bad place.

 

“We're going to have to deal with Burton on our own.” Abby said. “Connor's too far gone to turn around now.” She closed her eyes. The anomaly alert that Jess had found on the system had to be Connor creating an anomaly in the lab, and Burton probably already had his hands on all the data he needed. She prayed that Connor had held something back and not given Burton complete control yet. If he had, then there was no hope.

 

-o-

 

Connor sat in the car, staring at the huge electric gates across the gravelled driveway. Something was bothering him and he needed reassurance. What if there was some truth in what Danny had said? He couldn't think of a reason why Danny would be so against Philip Burton, unless Abby had influenced him – but Danny was not the sort of man that let others control the way he thought. He got out of the car and pressed the buzzer on the gate and waited.

 

“It's Connor. I need to see Philip.” he said into the intercom. There was a pause, and then the sound of the gates beginning to creak open. Jumping back into the car, he took a deep breath and drove into the grounds of the large house where Philip lived. A dog barked from somewhere in the darkness, and as Connor's car approached the front of the house, a flood light came on to illuminate the driveway. He'd been here once before; a couple of weeks after he'd officially become a Prospero employee. He'd felt completely out of his depth amongst all those scientists, and 'cheese and wine' wasn't really his thing – still, Burton thought it was important that Connor gained some useful contacts who might be able to help him, so he'd grinned and bared it.

 

The front door was opened as Connor approached, and the housekeeper ushered Connor inside. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company at this time of the evening?” Burton said. “Can I get you a drink? Some brandy? No … wait, you're a beer man aren't you? I think there should be a bottle or two in the fridge.”

 

“I'm OK, thank you. I'm driving, and I've already had one drink. I won't keep you long, I just need to ask you something.” Connor suddenly felt incredibly nervous.

 

“I see, very sensible of course! You'd better come into the lounge.” Burton indicated towards a door to the left, and he followed Connor inside. The lounge was bigger than Jess's entire flat, and furnished completely in black leather, black wood and white soft furnishings and walls. To Connor, it didn't have that “lived in” feel. No photographs or ornaments, nothing that personalised it at all. “Take a seat.”

 

Connor sank down onto one of the huge leather chairs and swallowed nervously. Burton perched himself on the edge of the sofa facing Connor. “I was wondering what you intended to do once we'd perfected creating anomalies.” He finally said.

 

“What's brought this on, Connor?”

 

“It's a reasonable question isn't it?” Connor said. He didn't like the look Burton was giving him.

 

“I suppose it is.” Burton replied. “To be honest, I haven't really thought that much beyond controlling them. I thought that was some way off yet.”

 

“You see, when I started this, it was my intention to understand them and work out how to stop them. That was what Cutter was working towards before he died and he wanted me to...”

 

“Connor, you're racing ahead of yourself! You created one anomaly that lasted for no more than a few minutes. I think we just need to focus on one thing at a time.” Burton smiled.

 

“You're right. I am racing ahead. I guess I'm just excited that's all, and after what Danny told me... I'm sorry I disturbed your evening.” Connor felt relieved.

 

“Danny? What did he say?” Burton's face changed.

 

“Oh nothing really. He said he'd seen things in the future and I think he put two and two together and made five... and maybe he's been listening to Abby as well.”

 

“Whatever Danny Quinn thinks he saw needs to taken with a large dose of salt I'm afraid.” Burton lowered his voice as if he was afraid someone might overhear. “ Between you and I, the psychological tests they ran on him when he came back indicate that he's not stable. It wouldn't surprise me if he ended up needing some kind of psychiatric help in the near future. If Abby is taking advantage of his vulnerable mind and filling it with her venom...”

 

“Don't speak about Abby like that!” Connor spat. “I know you and her have never seen eye to eye, but she's not the bad person you make her out to be!”

 

“I'm sorry. I know you're still very fond of her and I shouldn't say things like that to you. Look, it's late, we've both had a very long day and I need my sleep. I suggest you go home and get some rest too, and then we can start working out how to keep the anomaly open for longer.” Burton almost shoved Connor out of the door into the hallway.

 

“You're right. A good night's sleep will do me the power of good. Thank you Philip.” Connor grinned, said good night and left.

 

Burton watched Connor leave and waited until his car had disappeared into the darkness before taking out his mobile phone. Scrolling down his list of contacts, he found the one he needed and dialled the number. “It's me. We have a problem. I think we're going to have to put the plan into action sooner than we anticipated; he's starting to ask questions.... yes, I know the research isn't complete but it's as good as. I've placated him for the moment, but it won't be long before he realises what's going on. ... I trust I can leave it in your hands to get what I need? Good.”

 

He slid the phone back into his pocket and poured himself a brandy. It would be a shame to end Connor's career with Prospero before it had really begun, but that couldn't be helped. He'd always intended to get rid of Connor once he'd served his purpose anyway and he couldn't risk the project being exposed now. He was also going to have to work out how to keep Danny and Abby quiet as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Burton's evil plans slowly reveal....

The anomaly alarm sounded louder than usual, and Abby closed her eyes and winced in pain. She'd had this headache for three days now and it was getting worse. She stood by the console as Jess honed in on the co-ordinates, trying to focus on the screen.

 

“Are you still feeling rough, Abby?” Matt said. She nodded. “Look, you should go home and get some rest. We can handle this.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, then nodded to Becker to get moving. Abby would normally protest at being left behind, but she wasn't in the mood to argue. She watched the team grab their weapons and race out, then slumped down on the chair next to Jess with her head in her hands.

 

“Abby, you should take Matt's advise. I bet you're coming down with flu or something, there's a lot of it about.” Jess said sympathetically.

 

“Hm. Maybe.” She rubbed her head and closed her eyes again. “I did think it was just a hangover- Danny and I did have a fair bit to drink the other night after Connor left.”

 

“Hangovers don't last this long, Abby. You need to go home and get yourself tucked up in bed!”

 

“Yes, Mum!” Abby managed to raise a smile then glanced at her watch. “I'll wait until Five, then we can go home together. I should finish that report for Lester on the progress of the upgrades to the menagerie.” Making her way over to a quiet office, Abby had a feeling that something wasn't right here. She rarely got headaches, and certainly not this bad or for this long. Maybe a long soak in the bath and an early night would help; she hadn't been sleeping properly for some time now.

 

-o-

 

Technically, he wasn't trespassing. He was officially still an ARC employee so therefore he could sit in the car park and no-one could do anything about it. Becker had tried to remove him on Burton's instructions, but Danny was staying put.

 

He'd been watching the comings and goings of the ARC ever since he and Abby had failed to convince Connor that Burton was using him for his own evil intent. Being an ex-copper, some habits were hard to shake, and a stakeout was right down Danny's street. He had come to recognise the regular ARC staff; what time they arrived and what time they left; who parked in which space; who popped outside for a sneaky cigarette. He was looking for something, or someone, out of the ordinary – some kind of sign that Burton was up to something now that Connor had created an anomaly.

 

Three large black vehicles sped out through the security gates and Danny smiled to himself. So much for being inconspicuous! If the sparkling light of an anomaly or a prehistoric beast didn't attract attention, then Captain Becker and his entourage certainly would, especially when they start brandishing around those rather silly looking guns they now had to use. It made Danny almost relieved he was no longer a part of it all.

 

Leaning back in his seat, he adjusted the rear view mirror so that he could keep an eye on vehicles coming in through the gate whilst he watched the main door. His stomach growled; stakeouts were hungry work and he was glad he had a chocolate bar in the glove box to keep him going. He'd got about half way down it when he spotted a small white van pull up at the security booth. On the side it said “Watkins Veterinary Services” with a local phone number. Danny sat up. He'd not seen this van before, and it struck him as being slightly odd. What was an outsider doing coming into the ARC? Surely Abby dealt with the veterinary side of things and if she needed help she got it from her old friends at the zoo? He memorised the licence plate and the phone number, then rang Abby's mobile.

 

“Abby – does Watkins Veterinary services mean anything to you?” he said.

 

“No? Why do you ask?” Abby said quietly.

 

“It could be nothing; maybe its a sales rep or something.” Danny was not convincing himself. He watched the van get waved through security; again that struck him as unusual. They were letting a non ARC vehicle straight in without checking it over? “Can Jess hack into the DVLA computer and check a license plate for me?”

 

Abby gave a cough. “Jess doesn't do hacking.”

 

“What kind of computer geek is she!?” Danny sighed. “Never mind, I'll try one of my contacts in the Met. I'll call you later.” He disconnected the call, then tried ringing the phone number on the side of the van. As he suspected, the line was just dead. He also had a feeling that checks on the license plates would draw blanks as well but he texted the details to his friend anyway.

 

The van had disappeared around to the back of the ARC towards the large doors that led into a loading bay area. Danny got out of his car and crept around, hiding between a couple of parked cars so that he could see what was going on. The driver of the van was unloading a plastic animal carrier from the back, probably big enough for a large dog like a Rottweiller. It was also incredibly heavy if the fact the man was struggling to pick it up was any indication. He was delivering something, not taking something away – a creature perhaps? The man took the animal carrier inside then reappeared, obviously having a conversation with someone as he came out, but Danny wasn't close enough to hear what was being said and couldn't see who it was he was talking to.

 

As the van sped away, Danny felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. “Was that license plate number correct? No record of it on the database.” The message said. It didn't surprise him. He was going to have to rely on Abby doing a bit of snooping to see what had just been delivered.

 

-o-

 

Connor was sat, waiting impatiently for Burton. He'd been told to meet him in the small lab next to the menagerie that Abby and Matt used. It seemed like an age since he'd spent any time in here. He used to like watching Abby do her work, and sometimes they'd sit and chat if Matt wasn't around. That was before all the disagreements had started. He was curious as to why Burton had asked him to meet here and not in his own lab, and it felt a little uncomfortable being here whilst the others were all out on the anomaly call. He knew he'd be annoyed if one of them went into his lab when he wasn't there.

 

Absently, Connor twirled a pen around in his fingers whilst he took a good look around. Some of Abby's drawings were spread out across a desk and he could see she'd made notes on them; measurements, observations. She'd done that in the Cretaceous, although she'd been restricted to the tiny pages of her diary. It made him smile to see that she'd kept up that habit because he knew she had found a little comfort in taking time to try and make sense of the new things they were seeing.

 

“Connor, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I had a phonecall from the Minister, and since James isn't here, I had to deal with it.” Burton came in, full of smiles.

 

“It's OK, I haven't been here long, and it's actually nice to get out of my lab for a while. I'd almost forgotten what the rest of the ARC looked like!” He laughed, but stopped when he saw Burton's serious face. “Why are we here?”

 

“I need your assistance. We took in a new creature today; it's currently in quarantine but I'd like you to take a look at it.”

 

“Really?” Connor was puzzled. He knew the team were still out on the call, and as far as he was aware there hadn't been any creatures left behind at any of the previous anomalies they'd dealt with in the last couple of weeks. “Where did it come from? And wouldn't it be better to wait for Abby to get back? She's the best one to be looking at it to make sure it's not carrying any diseases.”

 

“This creature has been living as part of a private collection for a number of months. The person that found it believed it was just a rare breed of dog and held it with the intention of training it as a guard dog to protect his collection. However, after viewing the reports of the creature incursion at Jennifer Lewis's wedding, I recognised the creature as a Hyenadon.”

 

“Wow! The guy's lucky he didn't get his hand bitten off at least!” Connor was wide eyed, remembering his own encounter with Hyenadons at the wedding.

 

“Indeed. The gentleman concerned was more than willing to hand it over to us on the proviso we kept quiet about where it came from. That's why I'd prefer Abby not to be involved at the moment. I'll get it brought in right now so you can take a look.” Burton stood up and went over to the air lock separating the menagerie from the lab. Connor was puzzled and uneasy. This was Abby's territory; possibly Matt's as well. They wouldn't take kindly to him interfering.

 

A few moments later, Burton was dragging in a large animal carrier. Connor could hear the snarling creature inside pushing itself against the sides of the carrier in an attempt to get out. It was going to need sedating before they even attempted to release it, otherwise it could get very nasty after being kept in a confined space. “We should wait for Abby to get back.” Connor said.

 

“Oh, Abby's here. I understand she hasn't been feeling too well for the last few days and I think she's shut herself in one of the small offices to work quietly on her own. Best not to disturb her when she's not feeling one hundred percent.” Burton's voice seemed odd, and Connor saw something in his eyes that made him uncomfortable.

 

“I didn't know Abby was ill?” Connor said, concerned.

 

“The pressures of the job are getting to her, I fear.” Burton said. “The poor girl just hasn't readjusted back into the modern world, and then losing her boyfriend...” he shook his head.

 

Connor felt his chest tighten. He'd known Abby had struggled when they first came back but he thought she'd sorted herself out. She got on well with Matt and had even warmed to Becker somewhat. If he was responsible for her being ill, he couldn't bare it!

 

“Yes, it wouldn't surprise me if she was suicidal, I've seen it before... young girl, stressful situation, relationship ended badly...” Burton continued. His face changed, making Connor almost squirm.

 

“That doesn't sound like Abby. She's stronger than that.” He knew Abby had been through much tougher times than this and he refused to believe what he was hearing.

 

“I know that, and you know that … but it would be very easy to convince others that she isn't coping, especially if she were to be found... say... slumped over her desk with a half empty bottle of pills intended to be used on one of the creatures.” Burton's eyes darkened. “An autopsy would find arsenic in her system and it would be assumed she'd taken some of the pills to end her sad, pathetic, life.”

 

“But why would you want … Oh my god!” It suddenly hit Connor what Burton was alluding to. “She's not ill at all is she?”

 

“Clever boy, Connor. I've been adding a tiny amount of arsenic to her carton of milk in the morning, knowing she's the only one that uses that particular type. She's slowly being poisoned.”

 

“You bastard!” Connor took a swing for Burton, feeling a rage inside like he'd never known. The man he had admired so much was trying to murder Abby!? Burton was ready for him and moved to the animal cage, placing his hand on the bolt. The creature inside was snarling; eager to get out.

 

“Its such a shame Abby listened to Danny Quinn, she signed her own death warrant and yours too. Danny I can deal with in other ways.” He slid the bolt across and ran to the door of the lab. Connor gave chase, but the door was slammed and electronically locked from the outside. Burton spoke over the intercom. “Its been a pleasure working with you, Connor. Thanks for all your help.”

 

“Open the door!” Connor yelled. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the Hyenadon easing itself out of the carrier.

 

“I'm afraid I can't do that. You know too much and I can't risk you exposing the project now.” Burton gave a laugh and took a step back so that he could see Connor through the window. The Hyenadon sprang out and leapt straight at Connor, snapping and growling at him.

 

Connor grabbed a stool and held it out in front of him, the legs aimed towards the creature. Despite the fact he was shaking from head to toe and could barely speak from sheer terror; he believed that he could hold off the creature. The others would be back soon, or maybe Abby would come out of the office to get something from the lab? As he watched the thick globules of drool hanging from the creature's jaws, Connor felt his heart beat harder and faster. He wanted to scream, run and get out of this lab and find Abby; but it was like the fear had frozen him to the spot. He'd been in situations like this before, but there had always been somewhere to escape to or someone to back him up. He was alone, and it was all his fault. If he'd listened to Abby right from the start, none of this would have happened.

 

“I admire your bravery, Connor!” Burton said over the intercom. “Your time in the Cretaceous served you well. However, if the creature doesn't kill you, there's something else that will.” He walked away, and Connor glanced sideways, wonder where he was going.

 

Burton went over to Jess's console and pressed a few buttons. An electronic voice announced “Scan activated.”. Taking a deep breath and smiling to himself, Burton calmly walked away.

 

“Let me out!” Connor yelled, spotting the beam of light that was slowly moving across the room towards him and the Hyenadon. He knew exactly what would happen once that light hit the creature.

 

-o-

 

Jess was monitoring the virus scan that she was running on Lester's computer. He'd been complaining it was running slow, so she'd offered to do some maintenance on it. It still had another 25% to scan so she decided to go and see if Abby was OK. If truth be told, Jess was worried about her flat mate and had been for a while. Abby was not one for opening up though, and despite Jess's best efforts to get her to talk she was still no wiser as to what was wrong with Abby. She had an idea it was something to do with Connor though.

 

Making her way down the stairs towards the main hub, she noticed something flashing on one of the screens on the ADD console. “Damn!” she said. If something had gone wrong whilst she wasn't monitoring it...

 

She was puzzled to see that the security scan had been activated – after the disastrous trial run she thought Connor had disabled it. Before she had chance to switch it off, the screen flashed “Creature detected.” and an alarm sounded, giving the order for immediate evacuation.

 

“What's that alarm, Jess?” Abby said, poking her head around the door.

 

“Lockdown!” Jess said, panic evident in her voice. The computers were all shutting themselves down, and the ARC was rapidly emptying.

 

“What the hell is lockdown?” Abby came over to the console, looking at the screen. “Creature detected?”

 

“It's a security procedure Philip had installed. If the scan detects an escaped creature in the ARC, it shuts everything down and locks the creature in the room it's in.”

 

“Can you tell where it is?” Abby said. “I know all the EMDs are out with the field team, but I can use a tranquilliser gun.” She turned to go to the store where her medical equipment was kept, but suddenly felt very dizzy. Her eyes wouldn't focus and when she tried to move her stomach lurched and she clutched at it in agony.

 

“Abby?” Jess was at her side, rubbing her back. “Sit down, you're not well.” She noticed beads of sweat on Abby's forehead.

 

Abby pushed her away. “I'm fine, I just moved too quickly.” She straightened herself and took a deep breath. She tried to walk again but her legs felt like lead; something was very wrong here. “Jess. I need you to go into my lab and get some things out of the metal cupboard.”

 

“Of course. Tell me what you need.”

 

Abby tried to think what she wanted, but her mind was blank. “Just get... it looks like a gun... and there's some capsules ...” She shook her head, trying to clear the fog. Jess realised Abby was struggling, so she just decided to grab anything she could and hoped seeing it would jog Abby's memory.

 

That was when they both saw him; pinned into the corner of the lab by the creature. “Connor!” Abby screamed. Finding a strength from some hidden reserve, she ran to the window and banged her fists on it. “Connor!”

 

He looked up, and for the first time in weeks they made proper eye contact. She could see Connor yelling her name back, but she couldn't hear him. He looked terrified; his eyes wide and glistening with tears – but there was something else too that appeared the second he saw her. Hope. “We have to get him out of there, Jess!” She said.

 

“The doors are electronically sealed, and now that the computers are all shut down there's no way we can open them.”

 

Abby grabbed a chair and threw it against the window, hoping to break it. Deep down she knew it was useless; the ARC was made to be bullet proof, but she was desperate. “OK, so there must be a way of over riding this lockdown right?”

 

“There is, but it can only be done by Philip... except Connor knows a back way in.”

 

Abby rolled her eyes. Burton had made sure he was nice and safe, and the only other person who could solve this problem was trapped. She pressed herself against the window, forcing back tears as she watched Connor.

 

“There's something else you should know.” Jess said quietly. Abby turned to face her. Jess bit her bottom lip. “The point of the lockdown is to kill the escaped creature. It gets trapped in one room and then...”

 

“What Jess?”

 

“The air is sucked out of the room. Connor's probably got twenty minutes before....”

 

Abby began to sob, unable to hold back her tears any longer. It seemed completely hopeless.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Abby and Jess save Connor? Will they realise what Abby's illness is in time? Can Danny stop Burton? ..

Danny watched the ARC personnel all filing out into the car park and standing around looking slightly bored. He could hear an alarm and guessed that perhaps this was some kind of fire-drill. Burton was stood at the far end, watching everyone and smiling without seemingly a care in the world.

 

After a few minutes, Danny grew concerned. There was no sign of Abby – or Connor for that matter, and Jess seemed to be missing too. For someone who gave the impression that he ran a very slick operation, Burton didn't seem to be worrying that three of his key staff were not assembled with the rest. He was certain that he hadn't seen Connor or Jess leave, and he knew Abby was inside because he'd spoken to her only an hour or so ago. Something was wrong.

 

He strolled over to where Burton was standing. “What's this then? A drill? All present and correct?” Danny said casually.

 

“I believe so, yes.” Burton smiled. “But this is no practice run I'm afraid. The ARC goes into lockdown when a dangerous creature escapes. Always reassuring to know an evacuation procedure works well isn't it?”

 

“Yes it is, although I am a little concerned that I can't see Abby, Connor or Jess around.”

 

Burton's face changed; his eyes narrowed and his lips tightened into a straight line. “It's unfortunate that Jess has been tangled up in this, but she'll be OK once she's got over the trauma. I shall encourage Captain Becker to look after her a little more and see that she gets the proper care.”

 

“Tangled up in what?!” Danny felt his frustration swelling inside, but he tried to keep calm. Getting angry at Burton now would not help if he wanted answers.

 

“Follow me.” Burton said, quietly; checking to make sure no-one was looking. He led Danny around to the side of the building where they couldn't be seen. “I'm afraid Connor has become a liability, thanks to you and Abby. He asks too many questions and is in danger of exposing my project. I would have liked to keep him on for a while longer; he has a great mind, but sadly he seems intent on stopping the anomalies and was beginning to realise that I wanted to use them. I'm terminating our arrangement, permanently.”

 

“You've locked them inside the ARC with a creature? How sick is...”

 

“Oh no, I've only trapped Connor. No doubt Jess is at her computer now, trying to work out how to over-ride the lockdown. It's quite a complex system and I'm the only one with access to it – although young Connor did find a back door in using his old system. I doubt Jess will be able crack either in time to save him. If the creature doesn't kill him, then the lack of oxygen will.”

 

Danny's right hand curled into a fist. The things he'd read about at the ARC in 2042 seemed to be making sense now; events fitting into place. “You're murdering Connor!”

 

“They'll never be able to pin it on me. It'll all look like a terrible accident, and it will have to be kept quiet of course – we wouldn't want it getting out that he was killed by a prehistoric creature would we? And poor Abby, witnessing the death of the man she loves; killed by one of those creatures she thinks so much of. Rather ironic isn't it? She'll be wishing she'd let me have them put to sleep after all. It'll be so easy to make her death look like suicide after this.” Burton turned to walk away.

 

“You're forgetting one thing.” Danny said. “You've just told me everything.”

 

Burton laughed. “No-one will believe a word you say. This morning, one of the doctor's employed by Prospero filed a report on the state of your mental health. He has recommended very strongly that you be committed under the mental health act and held in a secure hospital. You're clearly unbalanced, it must have been rough out there on your own for ...”

 

Danny had had enough. “Well maybe I should give them one more reason to think I'm crazy, eh?” he said calmly, pulling a small handgun from his pocket. Three rapid shots were fired, each hitting their intended target; stomach, groin and heart. He would have preferred to deal out a more painful and slow death, but he couldn't risk Burton being found and having a chance of recovery. It had to end here and now with no room for doubt.

 

He crouched by the bloodied body; taking a moment to make certain he really was dead. Once satisfied, he took a deep breath and stood up. By now, the sound of gunshots had alerted the attention of some of the ARC staff, and there were several people stood watching in disbelief. “Where's Captain Becker?” someone yelled. “We need security here!”

 

Danny took out his mobile phone and handed it to one of the men. “Call him and tell him what's happened. Tell him Connor, Abby and Jess are trapped inside the ARC and dying.” He ran towards the doors and frantically tried to open them. “How do I get in?!” he yelled at anyone who was listening.

 

“The lockdown shuts all the computers down.” someone said. “Everything is electronically sealed; no-one gets in or out until the lockdown is stopped.”

 

Danny fired his one remaining bullet at the lock on the door, hoping it would demolish the electronics and enable him to get inside, but nothing happened. A hand was placed on his shoulder and as he turned around, someone punched him. He was surrounded, he heard voices saying something about him killing Burton and then he blacked out.

 

-o-

 

Abby pulled herself together. The last thing Connor needed at the moment was to see her losing it. She pressed the intercom. “Connor? Can you hear me?”

 

“Yes.” Connor said, quietly.

 

“Jess says you know a back way into the computer system? Can you talk her through it?”

 

He closed his eyes and tried to think. When he'd done this before, a lot of it was trial and error and a bit of luck. His head felt weird; the lack of oxygen in the air was beginning to have an effect on him. “I'll try.” he called back. “Tell Jess to bring the laptop over to the window so I can see the screen.”

 

Jess moved everything over, and Abby moved to one side so that Jess and Connor could work together. At first, it seemed to be going well. Abby watched in wonder; not understanding most of what they were saying. Her head was pounding and she could feel herself shaking; barely able to stand. The room seemed to be spinning, and for a moment she thought she was going pass out. It was the thought that she had to keep her finger on the intercom so that Jess and Connor could talk that kept her awake. She just had to focus on that one thing.

 

The Hyenadon was laid in a heap on the floor a few feet from Connor, panting for air. If the creature was struggling to breathe, then Abby guessed Connor must be too. It had already been 15 minutes since the lockdown had started, and Jess had estimated that all the air would be gone in 20. “We have to hurry, Jess!” she said urgently.

 

“I know, I know!” Jess said.

 

“You can do this!” Connor said. “We're almost in.”

 

Jess was getting flustered, and more and more frustrated by the second. Her fingers wouldn't work properly and she kept typing the wrong thing. Abby came over and hugged her. “Stay calm, Jess.”

 

“I'm sorry. I can do this.” Jess took a deep breath, composed herself, then started on the sequence again.

 

Abby went back to the intercom, and glanced into the room. Connor was no longer by the window. “Connor?” she said. There was no reply. “Connor?” She moved to get a better view and saw Connor slumped on the floor. “Noooooo! Jess, you have to get into that system now!” Her tears were falling like rivers down her cheeks.

 

“I'm almost there.... If I remember correctly, then …. yessss yessss!!” Jess bounced up and down in her seat. The blue screen in front of her looked very familiar; it was the entry screen into Connor's old system and it was waiting for the password.

 

“Damn! Trust Connor to have everything password protected!” Abby cursed.

 

“It's OK. I was here when he did it before. I know what it is.” Jess's voice changed. She did know Connor's password, but this could be a slightly awkward moment. “You should look away, Abby. You know what Connor is like about security.”

 

“Just put the bloody password in, Jess! He's dying in there!” Abby yelled. Through her tears, Abby watched the screen as the letters appeared. A B B Y T E M P L E. Her jaw dropped open and it felt like everything had come to a standstill. She almost didn't register the fact that the lights were back on and that the computers across from her were restarting; she barely noticed the sudden burst of activity as people rushed back inside, and she was only vaguely aware that an oxygen tank had been dragged into the lab and Connor was surrounded by people trying to revive him. She just stared at the laptop screen.

 

A soft voice spoke, “Abby. It's OK sweetheart.” Danny placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her towards the lab.

 

“I don't want ...” she protested. If Connor was dead, she didn't want to see him. She stood by the door, watching Danny kneel beside Connor. He took the oxygen mask from the girl that was holding it and held it over Connor's mouth himself. The people surrounding moved back a little, and someone said that an ambulance was on its way.

 

“Abby!” Danny said, his voice sounded sharp. “He needs you.”

 

She edged a little closer, but seeing his lifeless body there was too much and she backed away again, her face crumpling.

 

“Abby!” Danny said again. “You need to forget everything that has happened between the two of you these last couple of months and focus on now. When he comes round, he is going to be more than a little embarrassed about his behaviour, and he probably thinks everyone hates him. You have to remember how manipulating Burton was and that none of this was really Connor's fault.”

 

“Was?” Abby said, shakily.

 

“Burton's dead. He won't bother us again.” Danny said, matter of factly. “Now, come and let Connor know that you still care about him!”

 

Abby crouched beside Connor, and took his hand in hers. Her fingers tangled into his and she pressed the back of his hand against her cheek. He felt cold, and it was almost like he wasn't there. She feared it was too late. “Connor! Wake up!” she squeaked out, choking on her sobs. “We can talk, start over again if you want.”

 

Connor's eyes flickered open, he coughed and squeezed Abby's hand. She went to hug him; the relief overwhelming, but she couldn't move. A jolt of pain shot through her entire body and everything went black.

 

“Abby!” Jess screamed. Danny shifted the oxygen tank and mask over to her and he took her wrist, trying to feel for a pulse. “She hasn't been well for a few days, Danny.” Jess said. “We thought she had flu.”

 

“Arsenic.” Connor gasped, trying to sit up.

 

“What was that mate?” Danny said.

 

“Burton. He's...” Connor was struggling to get his words out.

 

“Take your time. What's Burton done?”

 

“Poisoned her. Arsenic in her drinks.”

 

Danny scooped Abby up into his arms and pushed his way through the door and out into the main hub. “Where the hell is that ambulance?” He glanced down at Abby's pale face. He could barely feel her weight in his arms, and he realised just how vulnerable she really was underneath all the bravado and confidence. He'd come back to put everything right that he knew went wrong; if Abby died, then he would have failed. He cursed himself for not spotting her symptoms earlier – he should have realised she was being poisoned.

 

Determined to get her to the hospital, he forced his way through a group of men who were trying to stop him from leaving and made his way out into the car park. Two of the black ARC vehicles screeched to a halt in front of him, and Becker leapt out, pointing a gun straight at Danny. “What the hell is going on, Quinn? I got a call saying you'd shot Burton and that there was a creature loose inside the ARC?”

 

“There's no time to explain. She needs to get to hospital – Burton's been poisoning her.” Danny hissed. “Jess will fill you in. There's an ambulance on its way for Connor but I think he'll be OK.”

 

Matt stuck his head out of the car window. “Danny, get her inside here; we can drive to the hospital much quicker in this. Becker, go and speak to Jess and make sure Connor is looked after.” Danny nodded and laid Abby across the back seats of Matt's car before jumping into the passenger seat that Becker had just vacated. With a screech of tyres, Matt turned the car around and seconds later they were out onto the main road heading for the hospital. Danny preyed that they would not be too late.

 

-o-

 

“You see it all here, don't you?” Danny mused. “New lives beginning, old lives ending.”

 

Matt nodded silently. He felt sick to the stomach – Why hadn't he realised what Burton was up to? They'd all had their suspicions about what he and Connor were working on, but nothing like this had entered his mind. He'd taken all of them in; they'd trusted him because he had rescued the ARC and provided them with resources and technology beyond their wildest dreams. But it had all been a smoke screen for his true intentions, and Abby had been the only one who had seen through him. She had to pull through...

 

Becker came and sat beside Danny. “The doctor gave Connor a clean bill of health.”

 

“I knew he'd be OK.” Danny smiled. “Where is he?”

 

“You really need to ask?” Becker laughed. “He's with Abby.”

 

Danny breathed a sigh of relief. That was a good sign; after everything that had happened those two needed each other. “Let's just hope he's the medicine she needs eh?” They all looked awkwardly at each other; all sharing the same concern. They would wait hours – days if necessary – until they knew Abby was going to be OK.

 

-o-

 

Connor couldn't get his head around the last few hours. He should have listened to Abby right from the start, this was all his fault. The doctor had said Abby was out of immediate danger; they'd managed to stabilise her after completely flushing her system out, but it was still touch and go. There was also a chance that permanent damage could have been done to her liver and kidneys. At first, he'd been afraid to even touch her. She seemed so delicate just laid there, like she'd snap in two at any moment. “She's just sleeping.” He told himself. “Just like that time she got ill in the Cretaceous after eating that weird fruit.” Back there, with no medicines, he had feared the worst and almost thought about eating some of it himself – if she was going to die then he was going with her; being alone was not an option. She had said the one thing that got her through that illness was having him close to her; she'd known he was wrapped around her. He had to help her in the same way now. Sliding next to her on the bed, he wrapped his arm around her tiny body and rested his head between her neck and shoulder, allowing his tears to fall silently down his cheeks.

 

The room was in darkness when he felt her move. She sighed heavily and Connor sat up. “Abby?”

 

“Connor?” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “What happened?”

 

“Shh, its OK, you're safe now.” He stroked her cheek. “It's all over.”

 

“Burton... he...”

 

“He's dead. Danny shot him.” Connor said. “And good riddance to him.”

 

“I'm sorry.” Abby said.

 

“You don't have anything to apologise for! I was the stupid one.” Connor looked away. He wouldn't blame Abby if she pushed him away. He had said some pretty bad things over the last few weeks and he knew he had hurt her.

 

“He had everyone fooled, Connor. If Danny hadn't come back when he did, then we would probably both be dead now.” She squeezed his hand and both sat in silence, contemplating what had almost happened. This had been a wake up call. From now on, they listened to each other, they stuck together and most of all, they remembered who and what was really important.

 

-o-

 

Danny watched Connor and Abby through the window of the intensive care ward. The future was changing; a future free from Burton and a future that would have Connor and Abby in it – together as they should be. When he'd seen the ARC records in 2042, it tore his heart into shreds. None of it had made sense until now. Connor disappeared mysteriously early in 2011; no trace of him was ever found and his flat had been completely cleared out as if he had never existed. Danny now guessed that Burton had murdered Connor and disposed of his body in some other distant era through an anomaly. Then there were the reports on Abby's apparent suicide. She'd been found in the ARC clutching an empty bottle of pills and interviews with ARC staff suggested Abby had been so devastated at losing Connor she had shut herself off. That was what had triggered the alarm bells with Danny. He knew Abby was stronger than that; there was no way she would take her own life. Burton had been clever, slowly poisoning her and then planting enough seeds in people's minds to make suicide seem plausible.

 

Matt had told him that no charges would be brought against him for Burton's murder - “You did us all a favour.” Matt had said. He'd also made sure that the psychological report had been destroyed, so Danny was a free man. Free to come and go wherever … and whenever he pleased.

 

For a moment, he thought about saying goodbye to them but they were lost in each other; making up for lost time. Besides, it wouldn't really be goodbye because he would come back – one day. The next anomaly that opened would be his exit, leading him to the next step in his search for his brother. With a final glance back at his two old friends, he set off with a renewed determination that he would find him.


End file.
